After all, he is a Malfoy
by RainbowRepublic
Summary: Hermione Granger finds Zachary Malfoy lost in a cafe, but does a chance encounter with the boy lead to something else with his father?  Plot is mine, everything else belongs to the wonderful J.K Rowling!
1. Chapter 1

"Mmmm, they must have wizards working here." thought a bushy haired brunette as she bit into another fry. She was sitting outside in favorite muggle diner, basking in the sunshine that rarely hits Britain. She got up, stretched, and made sure she had everything before she left crowded cafe.

"Book, binder, laptop…" she thought as she went down her mental checklist of items she had brought. She was a very busy woman, and could not afford to leave anything behind. Just as she was about to leave, she felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck. Someone was right behind her.

"Excuse me, Miss, but have you seen my mother?" a small, worried voice asked from behind her. It was a boy, around six years old, with straight dirty-blonde hair and steely grey eyes that were puffy and red from crying. His face was tear-stained and pale, and he wore muggle clothes.

"What does she look like?" she asked, bending down to his level.

"She's got hair like mine, and she was wearing a green shirt. She has this big red purse and really big white sunglasses. A-a-and she's really tall, but I think that's because of her shoes" he described, pointing to his own feet.

"Did she go to the bathroom? Do you know where she was going to go shopping next?" Hermione asked. She was getting worried. What kind of mother leaves her child in a diner to go shopping?

"I-I-I don't know!" he started to cry.

"Ok, how 'bout we wait for her?" She said, sitting back down. "What's your name?"

"Z-zach" he whimpered.

"Do you like to read, Zach?"

"Yeah!" he cried, much to her excitement.

"Have you read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss?" she asked.

"Seuss? That's a funny name!" Zach giggled.

"I agree. Do you know how to read on your own?" she wonder

"Of course I do!" he scoffed, snatching the book from her hands. "I am Sam. Sam I am." he read. Hermione ordered a coffee and some juice, and read as they waited for Zach's mum.

"ASTORIA! WHERE THE HECK IS OUR SON?" shouted a furious blonde. He glared at his wife, who was just exiting a store with four house-elves behind her. They were struggling under the weight of her many shopping bags, and one was even carrying her big red purse.

"Don't get your panties in a knot, he's here" she said, pointing to a house-elf.

"HAS ALL YOUR SHOPPING AFFECTED YOUR MIND? YOU LOST OUR SON, YOU BRAINLESS BARBIE!" he shouted, attracting attention from people on the street. "Where was the last place you saw him?"

"Ugh, I dunno! Don't shout at me!" she replied, about to head into the next store.

"Oh, no you don't! My money isn't your money anymore! After we find MY son, I'm filing for a divorce!"

Back at the café, the bushy-haired brunette was teaching Zach about her company, S.P.E.W.

"And then I thought, they need protection too! So now, S.P.E.W protects werewolves, veela, goblins, AND house-elves. We are also a part of the Ministry of Magic.

"Is it dangerous to work there?" he asked earnestly.

"Not at all! Well… sometimes the—"but she was interrupted by a frantic yelling.

"Zach? ZACH? ZACHARY! ARE YOU HERE?"

"Dad! I'm here!" he shouted out to his father.

The bushy-haired woman stood up. She wanted to speak to this "parent" who had left their child alone in a café for nearly two hours. Turing around, she found herself face to face with the man in question.

"M-Malfoy?" she exclaimed. The blonde seemed equally shocked.

"Granger?" he whispered, not able to raise his voice.

"Thank you for taking care of Zach." He said, finally composing himself.

"You're welcome. He's a wonderful boy." She replied, almost robotically.

Draco took Zach's hand and quietly led him out of the café to the waiting car, still in a daze.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters, except for Zach. **

Draco POV

"Zach, tell me exactly what happened after your _mother_ lost you." I asked, while shooting a glare at Astoria. She rolled her eyes.

"Well…er…I looked around for her…and when I couldn't see her…um…I started to cry." He said, looking ashamed.

"Crybaby!" I heard Astoria mutter. Zach's eyes welled up with tears.

"ASTORIA! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" She thinks that she has the right to make MY son cry?

"_I_ happen to be HIS mother, and YOUR wife! It's time you two started treating me with respect!" she replied haughtily.

"Get out! Pack your things and leave RIGHT NOW!" I couldn't stand to see her ugly face anymore.

"LEAVE? You're forgetting whose father bought this house! It belongs to ME!" she screamed in my face.

"Fine," I sneered. "Zach, go pack your bookbag." He ran upstairs to do as he was told, his eyes red and his face wet. Astoria gaped at me. Her face was purple with rage and a vein in her head was nearly popping out. She ran upstairs to our- no, _her_- bedroom and slammed the door. Sitting down on the soft couch, I put my head in my knees to stop the dizziness.

"Daddy!"

"No! You shut up! This is all your fault!"

I felt my blood boil. No one talks to Zach like that, not even his so-called mother.

"Zach! I'm coming!" I screamed as I blew open the door with my wand. "Come here!" I took his hand and ran. I didn't care that I didn't take my clothes. I didn't care that I forgot my money. I just ran. I could feel Astoria's eyes glaring daggers at me, but I didn't care. All I knew I had to do was get Zach out of there before I did something I would regret.

"Dad, can we please slow down?" asked Zach, his panting bringing me out of my reverie. "I'm hungry." I nodded. Looking around for a place to stop, I saw one lone café open. I grimaced at the irony. It was the very café that Astoria had lost Zach in.

"Do you have any money in your bag?" I cursed silently at myself for not bringing any money. We would have to pay a visit to Gringotts.

"Yes. All of it." He said, pulling out four big bags of money. Wow. The kid had saved up all his allowance money, and that was quite a lot. After all, he is a Malfoy.

"Nice."

Hermione POV

I was sitting at my favorite spot in my favorite café, drinking my favorite drink, and doing my favorite thing. I was reading a book about Nargles, which as it turns out really exist, for a report I had to give to the Minister of Magic, Kingsley.

"Herminoninny!" an excited voice shouted behind me.

"Zach? What are you doing here? Are you lost again?" she asked, worried.

"No need to worry, Granger, I'm here this time. And his dolt of a mother isn't." sneered a voice behind me that could only belong to the one and only Draco Malfoy.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked.

"Uhh…Ok." I stuttered. What was there to loose? Oh yeah, my dignity. Nevertheless, I followed him to a less crowded area.

"I need your help." What? He needs MY help? He cleared his throat to get my attention again.

"I need your help," he repeated. "I divorced Astoria, and she kicked me out. My father is dead, and my mother is in St. Mungo's going crazy. My best friend is in America, and he won't be back for 6 more months. You are the only person I can possibly trust. Please, can Zach and I stay at your place until I find someplace else? I will repay you, I promise. A Malfoy always keeps his promises."

The nerve of him! Just because his son might be the most adorable child in the world and the smartest as well doesn't mean he can take over my life!

"Y-yes."


	3. Chapter 3

**Oooooooooh crap. Sorry guys, I have no idea what caused me to take this 4 month hiatus. School's over now so I'll update way more frequently. I suggest re-reading the first and second chapter to remember what's been going on.**

_**Draco POV**_

Did she really just say yes?

"Did you really just say yes?" I think she really just said yes.

"Yeah… I think I really just said yes." She looked like she could change her mind any minute, so I better bring out the big guns.

"Zach! Guess what!" I knew she had a soft spot for Zach. Almost every woman with a brain does, which would explain why Astoria hated him.

"Yeah, Daddy?" he said, sounding worried. Poor kid had been through a lot today and he shouldn't have to worry about where we would spend the night.

"We're going to spend the night at Granger's house" I said. He looked confused.

"Who's Granger?" Oh.

"Um… Hermione. Sorry." I said. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Well, I have to get home and find some space for you guys. Apparate or drive or something to this address in twenty minutes." She said as she handed me a slip of paper.

"Thanks" I said. I grabbed Zach's hand and led him out the door.

_**Hermione POV**_

What the hell did I just agree to? I barely have room for myself in this dinky apartment, let alone a six-year-old boy and his prick of a dad! There's not enough room for them on the couch and I don't have a guest room. I moved aside a pile of papers from my bed. They would have to sleep here tonight and I would sleep on the couch. There was a knock on the door.

"Hi Hermoninny" said Zach through the mail slot. I checked my watch. Of course they come _exactly _on time.

"Come in, the door is open." I called.

"You know, it's not very safe to leave your door open like that. Someone could just walk in." Malfoy said.

"Hi Zach!" I said, ignoring him. "Ok, you and your dad are going to sleep on my bed, and I'll take the couch. I have to wake up very early tomorrow for a meeting, but I think you can manage with breakfast. I'll leave something out for you, 'kay?" He nodded.

"Do you have a cat?" What? "Dad said that when people live alone for too long, they like cats." Of course he did. After all, he is a Malfoy

"Yeah, his name is Crookshanks. He's probably in the bedroom. You can go play with him."

"Alright!" he said and ran to find my kitty. I glared at Malfoy.

"Asshole."

**That's not really a cliffy, right? Anyway, I need at least two reviews to write any more. *Dramatic sigh* It's just so hard to get motivated if I don't know if I'm doing it right or wrong. Constructive criticism, people! Love you always!**

** -RainbowRepublic**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, hey, hey! Look who got three reviews and is actually updating! You guys are really awesome. By the way Angel from the Sea, don't you worry. Ronniekins is on his way. Not in this chapter, but soon.**

_**Hermione POV**_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Is that the alarm? No, it must be the monkeys telling me I can go back to bed.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

It's all good, monkeys, I'm coming.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Granger! Shut off your gosh darn alarm!" My _gosh darn_ alarm? What is he, a kindergartener? Oh look, the monkeys.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"GRANGER! You'll get late for your house-elf party or whatever." Right. I reluctantly put one leg over the side of my bed.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"GRANGER!" Was my alarm really that loud? How come I couldn't hear it?'

"All right, all right. I'm coming." I mumbled. I checked the red clock that Ginny gave me for my last birthday. It was 6:35, and my meeting started at 7:00. _Ugh._

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier, you prick?" I growled at Malfoy as I walked down the hall to my miniscule restroom.

"Watch your language, Granger." He replied.

"I don't have time for this!" I shouted at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was sticking up in strange spots and was frizzy beyond belief. Why didn't I take that self-grooming workshop when the Ministry offered? Malfoy peeked into the door.

"You don't have time for what?"

_**Draco POV**_

Honestly, Granger looked hilarious with her hair all poofy and frizzy. How could such a brilliant witch not have learned how to groom her own hair? I thought that was a pretty important thing for girls.

"Hey Granger, did someone transfigure your hair into a troll?" She rolled her eyes.

"Get out of my bathroom Malfoy. I only have 20 more minutes to get ready and I still have to shower, eat breakfast, etc. So if you could kindly—"I cut her off with a spell.

"Somnium torqueo!" I said as I pointed my wand to her hair. Magically, it calmed down and became less of a mop on her head and more hair-like. She admired it for a minute and then turned to me.

"Thanks, Malfoy, but next time could you give me more of a warning before you try to HEX ME?" she shouted the last part.

"Mood swing much, Granger? Is it that time of the month?" I sneered. It wasn't the politest thing to do, but she was asking for it. Her hand twitched like she was about to slap me.

"Oh, now we're getting violent, eh? What if I hit you back? You gonna go call Potty and the Weasel to protect you?" Damn, I think I went too far. Wait, wasn't Granger madly in love with Weasel last time I saw any of them? She had tears in her eyes as she pushed me out of her way. Stopping to say good-bye to Zach, she picked up the rest of her clothes and apparated to god knows where.

"Daddy, that was really dumb of you." He said.

"She started it!" I whined.

"You're going to have to say sorry." He said, ignoring my childish behavior. Wow, wasn't I supposed to be the parent?

"Yeah, I guess I will." It seemed easy in theory, but I hate saying sorry. After all, I am a Malfoy.

**So? How was it? I still need 2 reviews to get my sorry ass motivated enough to write. Constructive criticism is taken with a smile. Flames won't kill me (I hope). I need people who read this and thought "God, this is an abomination"** **to review and tell me what sucked. Thanks, I love you guys!  
** **RainbowRepublic**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I actually took my time on this chapter. It's not really important, but I guess it hints at Malfoy's money situation and friends and stuff. Enjoy!**

_Hermione POV_

"Can you believe he brought up Ronald and Harry? I didn't even know that he was still alive two days ago and he thinks he has the right to bring up my personal life?" I complained to Ginny. I had apparated to her house after basically kicking myself out of mine.

"Mione, honey, you know he didn't do it on purpose. He probably doesn't even know what happened between you guys." she said. I hate it when she's right.

"Do you even know why he's staying at your place anyway? Isn't he supposed to be one of the richest bastards out there?" she questioned.

"I dunno, maybe he was disowned? He obviously needed money if he married Astoria. The little chit has literally nothing but it."

"Oh, harboring some jealousy now, are we?" she teased.

"NO! I just hate how she treats Zach!" I sputtered out. I wasn't lying, I really do hate her. For some reason, though, I felt like I was lying to myself.  
"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a twist. C'mon, you have to get to work." she pushed me to her fireplace.

"Bye Ginger!" I called to her as I flooed to the Ministry.

"Bye Mione, I want details later!" she yelled back.

_Draco POV_

"BLAISE? CAN YOU HEAR ME?" I yelled into Granger's telefinkle. I might eat at muggle restaurants and shop at muggle stores, but the damn muggle devices are just too frustrating.

"Draco? Use your inside voice, man." came the chuckling reply from inside the contraption. These feletones never ceased to amaze me. Muggles were a whole lot smarter than I gave them credit for. Not that I'd ever admit that out loud.

"Where the hell are you, anyway? This isn't Astoria's number." he said.

"I'm at, err, an acquaintance's house. Astoria and I are taking a break. Don't worry, Zach is with me." I'll tell him the truth eventually, I just don't think Granger would appreciate a 6 foot tall Italian bloke breaking down her door to come rescue me.

"Finally! That brainless bint was just lowering your IQ. A couple more months with her and you'd be looking for food that has 'less than zero calories' as well." That's just Blaise's way of saying "Oh Draco, she wasn't even good enough for you!"

"Yeah, well I called to ask you a couple of questions…" I started nervously.

"Of course you did. You can't ever just call to say hello, can you?" he interrupted.

"Hypothetically, let's just say that I said something I regret to somebody. And let's just say that, hypothetically, I maybe want tosaysorrytothem." I mumbled the last part.

"What's that? You want to sing a rhythm?" he said.

"Iwanttosaysorrytothem." I repeated.

"You _can't_ sing a rhythm? It's all right, mate, not everyone is born with the voice of an angel like I am." he started to sing Celestina Warbeck's newest terrible song, "Cleaning Your Wand with My Heart".

"I. WANT. TO. SAY. SORRY. TO. THEM. There, happy?" There was silence. Then, my dear friend either started choking a hyena, imitating his mum, or laughing.

"Merlin, mate, it took you seven years to say 'I apologize' to me. I don't even think you've known anyone longer than that! Well, except Pansy, but you're not apologizing to Pansy. Who's the lucky bastard?" he asked.

"Just a friend who deserves an apology." I said, struggling even think of Granger as my friend. Yet I was going to apologize to her. Huh.

"Like a friend with benefits? 'Cause you really shouldn't have those Zach at such a young age. He'll get a filthy mind and end up like me." I shuddered at the thought.

"No, you prat! Just a friend!" I shouted into the blasted telenickle.

"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a twist. Tell me how you want this apology to go.

"I want it grand and dramatic and heartwarming." I said. If I'm going to do it I might as well do it right. After all, I am a Malfoy.

"Going for the theatrics, are we? I think I know just what to do."

**That was a long chapter! Sorry if it was kind of boring, I just had to get something out before y'all forgot me! I need ideas! I know how I want this to end up but I need stuff to fill it out in the middle. Don't forget to review. **

**3, RainbowRepublic**


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